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Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences
Background on CUREs
Background/Significance for CURE Development Initiative
Studies have shown the benefits of research experiences for undergraduate students. However, only a small percentage of students will engage in a research experience during their education, and the majority of those students are white, from middle/upper social class, and tend to be in STEM disciplines. Course-based research experiences (CUREs) are emerging in academia and are recognized as a means to not only provide more inclusive and equitable research experiences to larger numbers of students, but also increase retention and graduation rates as well as clarify a career path. For example, at the University of Texas at Austin, students enrolled in course-based research have 70.6% overall retention rate compared to a comparison group’s 48.8% and Hispanic students have more than double the graduation rate. Even more interestingly, 32% of students enrolled in course-based research went to graduate school compared with 9% of students college-wide. Drexel University showed similar benefits when evaluating both STEM and Non-STEM students who were engaged in CUREs.
The ultimate goals are to
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Engage large numbers of students in research in STEM and Non-STEM fields
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Drive curriculum reform at the department, college, and university levels to improve overall retention and graduation rate
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Leverage undergraduate research to promote diversity and achieve equity
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Improve undergraduate academic success by providing essential skills for employment or further education experiences.
What are Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs)?
This workshop is intended for faculty from all disciplines (non-STEM and STEM) and will serve as an information session.
During this workshop, we will describe:
- What CUREs are
- Elaborate on the benefits of CUREs
- Answer any questions that participants have regarding CUREs
Additionally, we will outline the content of future workshops/training sessions and we will identify the goals of individual attendees.
This workshop is intended for faculty from ALL disciplines.
What can Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) look like?
During this workshop, we will have a panel of faculty from representative non-STEM and STEM departments discuss their overall experience with CUREs.
- In this discussion, the panel will discuss:
- Their CURE development
- Hurdles that may have been experienced and how they were overcome
- Goals of their CUREs
- How they are assessing the effect of CUREs on their students
This workshop is intended for faculty from ALL disciplines.
Making Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) happen at MSU Denver!
This workshop will primarily focus on resources and support necessary for CURE development.
We will discuss:
- How to obtain IRB compliance for CUREs
- Various assessment tools
- Mentorship
- Possible financial support.
This workshop is intended for faculty from ALL disciplines
Handouts for Workshop #3
Dr. Jenn Manak
Associate Professor
Department of Education at Rollins College
Biography
Jenn Manak is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at Rollins College. She coordinates the reading program and teaches literacy courses infused with strategies to support culturally and linguistically diverse students. She has mentored over 60 undergraduate researchers in the field of education. Her students regularly present their research at campus symposia with several presenting their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) or at national disciplinary conferences. She coordinated the undergraduate research (UR) program at her previous institution for over three years and coauthored three articles on incorporating UR into programs, courses, and curricula. She regularly presents on incorporating UR into courses and curricula at Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) conferences. She has facilitated many CUR institutes and workshops on integrating undergraduate research across the curriculum and transforming UR culture and curricula. She is committed to the high-impact practice of UR since these research experiences significantly benefit students by engaging them in meaningful, experiential learning within the discipline.
Undergraduate Research Related Publications
Liu, X., Manak, J., Miller, S., Shanahan, J., Tan, J., & Yu, C. (2015). Research-Informed Practice, Practice Informed Research: The Integral Role of Undergraduate Research in Professional Disciplines, Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, 35 (4), 6-16.
Manak, J. & Shanahan, J. (2015). Learning to SOAR: Partnering with Underrepresented Students in Research, Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education, 16.
Manak, J. & Young, G. (2014). Incorporating Undergraduate Research into Teacher Education: Preparing Thoughtful Teachers through Inquiry-Based Learning, Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, 35 (2), 35-38.